Drone allegedly infiltrated DPRK tied to S. Korean ex-President Yoon's former office staffers-Xinhua

Drone allegedly infiltrated DPRK tied to S. Korean ex-President Yoon's former office staffers

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2026-01-18 13:38:15

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A drone allegedly flown into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was suspected of involving two former staffers of the presidential office under South Korean ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday.

The two men, both in their 30s and former employees at the Yongsan presidential office, are under investigation by a joint military-police team.

One suspect is believed to have built the drone, while the other claimed he flew it to measure radiation and heavy-metal contamination levels near a uranium facility along the Ryesong River in the DPRK. The pair co-founded a drone startup in 2024.

Earlier this month, the DPRK accused South Korea of violating its airspace by flying a drone on Jan. 4, its official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Police are looking into the motive and circumstances of the alleged flight, including the possibility that the two suspects colluded in operating the drone.